Tag Archives: SYD

Pacific Blue Airlines to leave the New Zealand domestic market by October 17

Pacific Blue Airlines (flypacificblue.com) (subsidiary of Virgin Blue Airlines) (Christchurch) will drop all domestic routes in New Zealand by October 17 due to the continued losses. The subsidiary will concentrate on its trans-Tasman routes.

Read the full report from the Sydney Morning Herald:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Boeing 737-8FE ZK-PBB (msn 33797) approaches Sydney for landing.

QANTAS Airways sees a 4% drop in its yearly profits

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) reported a four percent drop in its yearly profits to slightly over $100 million (US) for the fiscal year.

Read the full report from Bloomberg Businessweek:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. An unusual angle photo of QF’s giant Airbus A380-841 VH-OQC (msn 022) at Sydney.

JAL to operate the last Boeing 747 flight in February

JAL-Japan Airlines (Tokyo) is quickly reducing its fleet. The final
747-400 (D) (domestic) flight will operate in October, while the international 747-400 aircraft will remain in service until February 2011. This drastic cut is being made possible by slashing routes and capacity
as well as a higher utilization of its Boeing 767-300s and 777s as the airline reorganizes.

JAL has been a long-time operator of the Boeing 747 (40 years). It took delivery of its first Boeing 747-146 (JA8101) on April 22, 1970.

Copyright Photo: Sam Chui. Boeing 747-446 JA8920 (msn 27648) once carried the special “Sammurai Blue 2006” livery. It is pictured departing from Sydney.

Air Austral orders two Boeing 777-200 LR Worldliners

Air Austral (Reunion) has announced an order for two Boeing 777-200 LR (Longer Range) Worldliners. The two airplanes were previously listed on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website as unidentified.

The 777-200LR is the only wide-body airplane that can fly nonstop from Reunion Island to Paris with a full payload from the short runway on the island of Mayotte. The carrier currently operates 777-200 ERs (Extended Range) on the route.

Air Austral has a current Boeing fleet of two 777-300 ERs, three 777-200 ERs and two 737s. In addition, Air Austral will receive two new 737-800s at the end of 2010, a third leased 777-300 ER early next year as well as these two new 777-200 LR in mid-2011 and 2012.

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Boeing 777-2Q8 ER F-OMAY (msn 29402) at Sydney showcases the updated 2009 look.

QANTAS orders seven additional Bombardier Q400s

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) has placed a firm order for seven additional Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q400) NextGen turboprop airliners. The aircraft will be operated by QANTASโ€™ regional carriers operating under the QANTAS Link banner.

This order will increase to 28 the number of Q400 and Q400 NextGen airliners operated by Sunstate Airlines (QANTAS Link). The group also operates two Bombardier DHC 8-200, three DHC-8-200 (Q200) and 16 DHC-8-300 (Q300) aircraft.

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Sunstate’ special DHC-8-402 VH-QOH (msn 4132) arrives at Sydney.

QANTAS’ Airbus A330-303 VH-QPF comes to the rescue of Abby Sunderland in the Indian Ocean

QANTAS Airways’ (Sydney) crew on board Airbus A330-303 VH-QPF (msn 595) was responsible for finding lost sailor Abby Sunderland.

CLICK HERE to read the full story.

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. VH-QPF is pictured at Sydney before the rescue mission.

Virgin Blue Airlines is reviewing its entire network

Virgin Blue Airlines Group (Virginblue.com.au) (Brisbane) is reviewing its entire operation and network and may decide to discontinue some of its brands. The Pacific Blue operation is reportedly losing money and may be axed.

Read the full report:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Virgin Blue’s special 50th Aircraft scheme as painted on Boeing 737-7FE VH-VBY (msn 34323).

Tiger Airways voted the least favorite airline by Australians

Tiger Airways (Australia) (Tigerairways.com) (Melbourne) has work to do to repair its relationship with the traveling public. Its customers are the least satisfied airline travellers in Australia, while people who fly REX-Regional Express and QANTAS Airways are the happiest.

Roy Morgan Research’s latest Airline Satisfaction report found more than 83 per cent of people who travelled on REX-Regional Express in the last year were satisfied.

Passengers who travelled on QANTAS Airways, QANTASlink and Virgin Blue Airlines were next happiest.

What is troubling for Tiger is only about one half of the passengers who flew on Tiger Airways were satisfied, compared to about two thirds who flew on rival Jetstar Airways.

Read the full report:

CLICK HERE

In other news, Tiger Airways announced it will base two Airbus A320s at Avalon Airport with new service starting on November 10 to the Gold Coast.

Read the full report:

CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Airbus A320-232 VH-VND (msn 3296) is pictured at Sydney.

QANTAS Airways reports an engine surge on VH-OJF

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) continues to have problems being reported by the media. The company issued this press release on the latest incident:

“The Boeing 747 operating QF Flight 1 from Bangkok to London Heathrow this morning (April 6) experienced a surge in one of its four engines shortly after take-off at 0100 local time (0400 Sydneyย time). Following procedures, the captain of the aircraft shut down that engine and carried out an air return to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, landing at approximately 0230 local time.

There was no safety issue at any stage โ€“ Boeing 747 aircraft can fly normally on three engines. Engine surges do not occur regularly, but are not an unknown event on jet aircraft. QANTAS pilots are trained to handle them if they occur.

A replacement aircraft is being flown to Bangkok from Sydney and the 335 passengers on board have been transferred to hotel accommodation. The revised departure time for the service from Bangkok to London Heathrow is 1850 local time (2150 Sydney time).

Engineers are examining the aircraft in Bangkok. The aircraft last underwent a maintenance check at QANTASโ€™ Avalon maintenance facility in March 2010.

QANTAS regrets the inconvenience caused. However, safety is our highest priority and we have full confidence in the actions taken by the flight crew operating the aircraft.”

The aircraft involved is believed to be the pictured Boeing 747-438 VH-OJF (msn 24483) at Sydney. Ironically the aircraft was delivered exactly 20 years ago today to QF. Copyright Photo: John Adlard.

QANTAS grounds a Boeing 747-400 due to a cracked windshield

Copyright Photo: John Adlard. Boeing 747-438 ER VH-OEI (msn 32913) on approach at Sydney was the aircraft involved.

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) stated todayย one of its Boeing 747-400s had been grounded after developing cracks in its windshield while flying from the United States.ย The Boeing 747-400 landed safely in Melbourne this morning after a flight from Los Angeles but was immediately grounded. The first officer noticed the cracks during the flight, a spokesman said.

The windshield is expected to be replaced according to this report by Reuters and the plane was expected to leave for the United States again early on Tuesday.

Read the full report:

www.reuters.com/article/idCNB71973620100405?rpc=44